Wedding Day
by Dr. Michaela Quinn
Summary: Bells are ringing throughout Colorado Springs as Matthew and Ingrid wed.


**A/N: Season 5**

"Oh I'm so nervous!" Ingrid exclaimed. She paced in the living room mumbling in Swedish. Colleen walked up behind her. She laid a hand on Ingrid's shoulder.

"It's okay. Everything will be alright." Ingrid turned to Colleen.

"How you know that?" Ingrid questioned.

"Because Matthew loves you."

"I love Matthew too. So much. I'm glad we're getting married." Colleen smiled.

"He is too." Ingrid looked around.

"Where is Dr. Mike?" Colleen helped Ingrid sit down at the table.

"She went to get Katie from upstairs."

"I'm so happy; you and Dr. Mike agree to be in the wedding."

"Of course we would." She smiled and Ingrid gasped.

"I can't breathe." She heaved. Colleen jumped up.

"Is it your asthma?" She paused. "MA!" Ingrid sat at the table gasping for breath as Michaela rushed down the stairs.

"Colleen?"

"It's Ingrid. She's having another attack." Michaela handed Katie to Colleen and rushed through the kitchen putting together the concoction. After a few minutes, Ingrid was resting over a bowl inhaling vapor with a towel over the bowl and her head. Finally, she sat up.

"Thank you Dr. Mike."

"Don't get too excited. We don't want to have to do that during the ceremony." Michaela's smile always lit up the room and spread a smile across Ingrid's lips. She nodded.

"Are you okay Ingrid?" Colleen asked. She held onto Katie. Michaela looked at them.

"I'm okay." Ingrid exasperated.

"Good." Michaela responded. "I can take Katie now Colleen." Colleen pulled her sister closer to her.

"I've been away at school. I want to hold her Ma."

"Alright." She sat next to Ingrid as Colleen stood behind the chair across from her.

"We need to get Ingrid in her dress ma." Michaela nodded.

"Are you ready?" Ingrid nodded with a smile.

* * *

Ingrid stood in front of the mirror in Mike and Sully's bedroom as Michaela and Colleen sat on the bed. Michaela's wedding dress fit Ingrid beautifully. She had brushed out her hair and it lightly touched the top of her shoulders. Michaela stood up and walked over to her.

"You look beautiful." She hugged her.

"Do I?"

"You really do." Colleen chimed in from across the room. Ingrid looked at both of them. She had powder on her cheeks and a light amount of lipstick on her lips as well as a bright smile. "Matthew is going to love you."

"You think so?" Ingrid asked. Michaela touched her arm.

"I know so." Ingrid smiled again.

"I'm so nervous!" Colleen stood up and looked over at Katie who was lying on the bed sleeping. She walked over to Ingrid.

"You don't have anything to be nervous about. We all love you."

"Thank you Colleen; thank you for everything." Colleen and Ingrid hugged. "I have a church wedding because of you both." There was a knock on the door. Michaela turned around.

"Yes?"

"It's me Ma." Brian said through the door. "I'm here to escort you to the church."

"Thank you Brian, we'll be down in a minute."

"Alright." Brian walked away from the door and went downstairs.

"Are you ready to go?" Ingrid nodded and Colleen opened the door. "We better go then. Matthew's waiting."

* * *

There was a mix of emotions for Matthew while he was standing in the church with Sully and Reverend Johnson.

"What do you think is taking them so long?" Matthew asked worried making Sully and the Reverend laugh.

"They'll be here Matthew." Reverend Johnson replied. Sully put a hand on Matthew's shoulder.

"I love your Ma Matthew; but women are always slower sometimes. Especially since it is Ingrid's wedding day she'll feel that she has to look as perfect as she can for you. Colleen will help her with that; and of course they have Katie. You can never do anything as quickly as you did before when you have a child around." Matthew nodded.

"I've noticed."

"I know they'll be here soon Matthew. The wedding isn't for half an hour or so anyway." Reverend Johnson said trying to comfort him.

* * *

A little while later, the church started to fill up with people from town, as well as Cloud Dancing and some of the immigrants. Dorothy sat on the front pew with Loren, with Cloud Dancing sitting behind them. Jake, Horace and Myra, Andrew, Preston, Hank and a few of the saloon girls filled the church along with various other townspeople. Colleen walked in with Katie a little while later. She walked over, handed Katie to Dorothy and then walked up to Sully. After she whispered something to him, they walked out of the church.

"_What was that about?"_ Matthew thought watching his sister leave and Brian walked in beaming from ear to ear. "What's going on Brian?"

"Don't worry Matthew." Brian stood next to his older brother. "The important thing is, since I'm here, Colleen, Ma, Ingrid and Katie are too." Matthew nodded.

"I saw Colleen bring Katie in and she got Sully." Brian nodded again. "How does Ingrid look?" Brian smiled.

"Matthew, she looks so beautiful in Ma's dress. And the girls look pretty in their dresses for the wedding."

"Thanks for agreeing to be up here with me." Matthew said putting a hand on Brian's shoulder.

"Somebody has to walk Colleen down the aisle since Pa's walking Ma." Matthew nodded with a smile. "Well, I have to get the other girls and have them come sit with Robert E." Brian walked out the door and Matthew turned to look around the church. Grace and Robert E. smiled at him, so did Dorothy. A few minutes later, he saw Brian walk in with four of Ingrid's sisters. He knew her youngest sister was going to be in the wedding. Finally, Reverend Johnson came to the front of the church and Grace stood up to play the music. As Matthew turned to Reverend Johnson, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Michaela's walk into the church and sit in the back row. Before he could say anything the music started to flow and he saw his sister-in-law walking in with Colleen and Brian right behind her along with his Ma and Pa. His heart filled with joy and anticipation when he saw Ingrid come in on the arm of her older brother Jon. She looked so beautiful and it felt like time had stopped as she walked to the front of the church. Everybody stood as she walked up to Matthew, Reverend Johnson and the rest of the family. Jon kissed her cheek.

"Ma and Pa can see Ingrid. They are proud of you. They love you." Ingrid hugged him and then took Matthew's hand and Jon sat down with his sisters and Robert E.

"We are gathered here today in the sight of God to join these two people in marriage-" Ingrid smiled at Matthew and his heart melted as he focused more on her and less on those around them.

* * *

After the wedding, the family was enjoying a celebration at Michaela and Sully's home. Dorothy, Loren, Cloud Dancing, Reverend Johnson, Grace and Robert E. were there along with Ingrid's siblings, the Sully family and Elizabeth Quinn. When he first saw her, Matthew walked up to her.

"What are you doing here?" He hugged her tightly.

"I wouldn't miss the wedding of my first grandson would I?" She smiled.

"When did you get here Mother?" Michaela asked walking over carrying Katie.

"I got to the Chateau yesterday. Andrew and I arranged everything. I didn't want my visit to take away from the day of these two kids." She replied as Ingrid walked over and Matthew put his arm around her.

"We're glad you were here ma'am." Ingrid said. Colleen smiled from Matthew's other side.

"How long are you going to be here?"

"I think I'll stay for a few days, but then I have to go back to Boston. Marjorie and Rebecca are terrified something is going to happen while I'm by myself out here." They heard tapping behind them.

"Excuse me everybody, I hate to interrupt any conversations going on, but I'm sure Ingrid and Matthew want to make it into Denver tonight and so that means we have to cut the cake." Dorothy said. Matthew and Ingrid walked over to the table and saw the cake.

"It looks delicious Grace, thank you." He stated and hugged her.

"Yes, very good." Ingrid chimed in. Grace hugged her too.

"I wanted you to have something to remember and I thought the cake would be a good place to start." Grace stated. Matthew and Ingrid cut the cake together with the family and friends watching. He gave her a little piece and she gave him one before the cut it for everybody to eat. Conversations flowed throughout the room as everybody ate the cake. Finally, Ingrid walked over to Michaela and Sully.

"Thank you so much for everything." Michaela put her hand on her shoulder.

"You're very welcome Ingrid. Welcome to our family." Both Sully and Michaela hugged her.

"I have family that I didn't have before." She beamed. "I have a younger brother; I have a sister I can talk to." She paused, and then quietly spoke. "I have parents."

"You can always look at us as your Ma and Pa if that's what you want to do Ingrid." Sully responded. Ingrid nodded.

"I will." Then she looked down at her dress. "I have to take this off before we go." Michaela shook her head.

"You can take it if you would like." But Ingrid shook her head.

"It is your dress Dr. Mike; it should stay here." So they went upstairs and Michaela helped Ingrid out of the wedding dress and into a more comfortable dress for the train ride to Denver. When Ingrid walked down the stairs, the first person she saw was Colleen. "Thank you for being in the wedding Colleen, and for being my sister." Colleen smiled. Michaela quietly slipped past the girls and walked over to Sully and Brian near the kitchen table.

"I'm glad to have a sister myself. I've only had brothers; and Katie is too young to talk to. She's only six months old." They laughed. Matthew walked over to her.

"We should probably be going Ingrid." She nodded and looked at everybody.

"Thank you so much for everything."

"Yes, thank you everybody for making our wedding day something special."

"We love you." Michaela responded. Sully put a hand on her shoulder as Brian stood in front of her and placed both hands on the chair in front of him.

"Bye Matthew! Bye Ingrid!" He called out. Everybody watched them walk out the door and head down the steps of the house to Matthew's wagon. Colleen walked over and smiled. "You're happy Colleen." Brian stated. She couldn't stop smiling.

"I know. Andrew agreed to go get Matthew's horses when they left for the train, since the Chateau isn't far from the train station and when he takes the horses back, he asked me to ride along." Michaela and Sully looked at each other.

"I can't lose another one already." Michaela stated. They stared at their beautiful red haired, brown eyed daughter.

"I don't think we have to worry about anything just yet Michaela. She has a year left of school and Andrew knows that. I think they are just taking a ride." Michaela nodded. This had been quite a busy day, but it was an awfully special wedding day for Ingrid and Matthew.

"_The day was just full of surprises."_ Michaela thought as she walked over to her mother.

**A/N: This story could be an incredibly short one shot, or if you want to see a chapter 2, please review so I'll know that =) If you don't have an account, I'm cool with guest reviews =) **


End file.
